19 NOVEMBER 2018

Williams, Jr. KO's White in One

By Marc Livitz: Thomas "Top Dog" Williams, Jr. claimed the vacant WBO NABO title with a first round TKO win over Cornelius "Beast" White in a light heavyweight battle at the Little Creek Casino Resort in Shelton, Washington. The first knockdown was registered just twenty seconds into round one by way of a quick left hook delivered to the chin of Cornelius White. He returned the favor about ninety seconds later and sent Williams, Jr. to the canvas with a left of his own. Thomas quickly rose to his feet and caught Cornelius flush on the chin with a left cross. White’s legs buckled a bit, but he remained upright. An overhand right delivered by Williams, Jr. across the head of his opponent should have signaled the end of the contest.

Cornelius White crashed to the mat and then stumbled over himself. He barely beat the count. Referee Bobby Howard implored White to show some effort and defense with less than thirty seconds to go in the opening period. He didn’t and Thomas unloaded successive right and left chops to his foe. With about ten seconds to go, Williams, Jr. was awarded a TKO win after Howard put a halt to the action. He remains undefeated with a record of (16-0, 11 KO’s), while Cornelius White lasted two rounds less than he did with Sergey Kovalev last June and now holds a mark of (21-3, 16 KO’s).

Undercard Report

"Ramos Tops Arellano"

In the evening’s co-main event, former WBA super bantamweight titleholder Rico Ramos took advantage of multiple knockdowns in rounds four and five en route to a sound unanimous decision win over Jonathan Arellano. Ramos of Los Angeles, California desperately needed such a performance to help bolster his record after he had lost three of his last five bouts in a previously unbeaten career. Rico (23-3, 12 KO’s) had his mettle tested towards the end of round seven, when Arellano (14-3-2, 3 KO’s) bulled Ramos into a corner and connected with successive uppercuts.

The match slowed a bit in the eighth and Jonathan did his best to take the fight to Ramos by way of several straight rights. In round nine of the scheduled ten, Arellano moved the scuffle to the ring’s center and likely led his corner to question where such effort was in the earlier moments of the contest. The Ontario, California fighter wanted to engage in a brutish exchange in the tenth and final round, yet Ramos was either wise enough or just plain content to play it safe an tie up whenever he needed to do so. The two combatants traded a friendly and sportsmanlike embrace at the end of the bout and the judges scorecards ultimately read as follows: 98-88 and the other two 98-89. Rico "Suevecito" Ramos UD 10 Jonathan Arellano.